Subject:Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:apollonia1986on07/18/10 at 1:56 pm

Hi Y'all!

As many of you know, I completely love all things 80s, and for the most part, I do recognize and understand most of the fashion trends. But one of the trends I don't seem to get all that well is the Valley Girl trend. I mean I have the movie, and I even looked up vids on youtube, but I can't really get a hand on the basics for the trend. Could someone please explain it to me. Is it preppy, is it girly, is it a mix of the two? Like what colors, types of clothing and make up go with these looks?

Thanks!

And I know all about the totally tubular and trippindicular phrases. LOL!

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:snozberrieson07/18/10 at 8:05 pm

problem with valley girls is they didn't know what they wanted to be... they were preppie by birth (having grown up in San Fernando Valley)

their language seems to have come from the beach/surf culture but adapted to suit their needs.

as for the attire- the reason you can't pin it down is because it too was a variation of styles.... the closest anyone can come (to my knowledge and I am by no means an authority on the subject) but it seems to me- the closest thing to Valley Girl style is the Madonna look. By that time tho almost everyone was dressing like Madonna and plenty of people across the country were wearing preppie clothes....

really it is the vernacular, the jargon, the speech patterns that identify a valley girl and not the clothes.

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:apollonia1986on07/18/10 at 8:27 pm

Hey Snoz,

Gosh, that kinda took the wind outta my sails. LOL. but thanks for the help! And trust me, years ago I printed out a whole list of jargon for the valley girl and in the 80s in general.

I use "cool beans" to death. ;D

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:snozberrieson07/18/10 at 8:42 pm

Hey Snoz,

Gosh, that kinda took the wind outta my sails. LOL. but thanks for the help! And trust me, years ago I printed out a whole list of jargon for the valley girl and in the 80s in general.

I use "cool beans" to death. ;D

sorry 'bout that....

I just lifted this from Wiki....it sort of reiterates what I was saying...

Valley Girl (or Val, Val Gal) is a stereotype leveled at a socio-economic and ethnic class of American women who can be described as colloquial English-speaking, materialistic, self-centered, hedonistic, quirky/cute but not necessarily physically attractive (subjective) and often sexually promiscuous. Valspeak is also a form of this trait, based on an exaggerated version of '80s California English.

The term originally referred to the ever decreasing number of semi affluent and affluent middle-class and upper-middle class girls living in the bedroom community neighborhoods of San Fernando Valley; however, popular media often portrayed the stereotype as lower-middle class white girls in families climbing the socioeconomic ladder into white-collar jobs, and their trials to "fit in" with more educated, upper-class offspring. Due to changing demographics, it is increasingly relevant as the age, ethnic, and economic class it referenced is becoming increasingly insular in its native territory, which no longer considers itself part of LA County. Particularly in the Santa Clarita region bordering the San Fernando Valley, women in the region have been characterized as "bro-hos" (see "bro"). Due to the Valley's proximity to the Hollywood media machine, the demographic group which the term stereotyped garnered large exposure to the rest of the world. Consequently, the use became more general, and the stereotype can be found all over the United States, and also in other countries in different forms. Australia has its own variation of the Valley Girl accent, as lampooned by Ja'mie King.

During the 1980s and 1990s, in common with the trend in community orientation, interest, and education, the term metamorphosed into a caricature and stereotype of such women: a "ditzy" or "airhead" personality, and unapologetically "spoiled" behavior that showed more interest in shopping, personal appearance and social status than in intellectual development or personal accomplishment.

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:bookmistress4everon07/18/10 at 9:41 pm

I always pictured that one girl, Tracy Nelson from "Square pegs" as a Valley girl, but I come from Ohio so what do I know?

I used to use "like" pretty much like every other like word back in the mid 80s. :D

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:snozberrieson07/18/10 at 10:04 pm

I always pictured that one girl, Tracy Nelson from "Square pegs" as a Valley girl, but I come from Ohio so what do I know?

I used to use "like" pretty much like every other like word back in the mid 80s. :D

she was totally a Valley Girl.... the preppie kind but that was pre-Madonna... that's why I say they have no real style- they are followers... If you think about it... preppies were everywhere so there was no definitive look for the Valley Girl.

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:MaxwellSmarton07/19/10 at 2:30 am

"Valley Girls" accents have permeated the entire country! Teens and young people adopted the accent, which is now universal middle class DUMB. It was only because Zappa picked up on it and gave it a name that it developed its own self-aware identity. Then it became a marketing phenomenon, and then it just seemed to seep in on its own. First-year college students talk that way and they were born a full decade after "Valley Girl" was popular. I think the culture was headed that way. Think "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

8)

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:Toddon07/19/10 at 2:37 pm

I loved that style in the early to mid 80s.. Still copy it often for retro-80s events. One of the most common styles were "drop waist" or "drop-yoke" miniskirts - they were short and flouncy and often tiered or layered, sometimes refered to as "rah-rah" skirts. Sometimes worn with colored tights. Often ruffle-topped ankle socks were worn as well. Blouses or layered tank tops and vests were worn on top. Leggings and jeans were as usual, common then as well. Valley girls often wore headbands too. The movies, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Valley Girl and Girls Just Want to Have Fun were all filmed around this time, and you can get many ideas from watching these flicks.

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:apollonia1986on07/20/10 at 4:23 pm

Hey Y'all!

Thanks for the advice everyone! I appreciate it!

Damn, I hate I missed the 80s. :D

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:Foo Baron07/20/10 at 10:36 pm

You could, like, totally listen to any Julie Brown comedy album from the 80s.

Or gag me with the awesome zaniness that was Valley Girl.

Or combine the two: You could totally get primary source material from a full-length movie based on a Julie Brown song, or was it, like, the other way around? In any case, Earth Girls are Easy!

Subject:Re: Valley Girl Attire?

Written By:MaxwellSmarton07/21/10 at 12:57 am

You could, like, totally listen to any Julie Brown comedy album from the 80s.

Or gag me with the awesome zaniness that was Valley Girl.

Or combine the two: You could totally get primary source material from a full-length movie based on a Julie Brown song, or was it, like, the other way around? In any case, Earth Girls are Easy!

RE: Frank Zappa --

The song "Valley Girl"(1981) is very similar to a song from "Joe's Garage" x2 album (1978), "Crew Slut." 8)